Wastewater Discharge Permits

Which agencies are responsible for issuing NPDES permits?

EPA is responsible for issuing NPDES permits in Region 10 except as noted below:

Alaska: Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation currently issues all NPDES permits in Alaska except oil and gas facilities, munitions, cooling water, pesticides, off-shore seafood processors, and on tribal lands. EPA is in the process of transferring additional NDPES authority to Alaska.

Idaho: EPA issues all NPDES permits in Idaho.

Oregon: Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issues all NPDES permits in Oregon except on tribal lands.

Washington: Washington Department of Ecology issues all NPDES permits in Washington except federal facilities and permits on tribal lands.

Tribal lands: EPA issues all NPDES permits on tribal lands.

EPA's Priority Permits for 2010-2012

EPA determines priorities for NPDES permits in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington based on the following factors:

Watersheds: Puget Sound; Boise River and Lower Snake River; Spokane and Coeur d’Alene Rivers; Middle and Upper Snake Rivers (including the Portneuf River)

Sectors: Mining; Oil & Gas; Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs); Pesticide applications to surface water

Other factors: Backlog of expired permits; General permits; Small cities in Idaho; Tribal jurisdictions; Storm water

• View the full list of EPA priority permits for Region 10 (PDF) (12pp, 33K)

Regional Technical Guidance

• Advanced Wastewater Treatment to Achieve Low Concentration of Phosphorus
• Guidance on Water Quality Based Effluent Limits Set Below Analytical Detection/Quantitation Limits (PDF) (3 pp. 183K) - April 2005

NPDES Staff Contacts

• Permits staff
• Contacts by subject area
• Compliance and enforcement staff